Systems and methods for manufactured modular construction

ABSTRACT

Systems, methods, and devices of the various embodiments may enable manufactured modular construction. The various embodiment manufactured modular construction systems, methods, and devices may offer a solution to the housing shortage worldwide that is less than half the cost of the cost of current modular buildings. Various embodiments may include interlocking vertical and horizontal elements. Various embodiments may include a locking system pulling upper horizontal elements of an embodiment modular building toward lower horizontal elements and/or a foundation or a lower floor of the embodiment modular building to thereby lock vertical elements and vertical panels in place between the upper horizontal elements and the lower horizontal elements, foundation, and/or lower floor. In various embodiments, the locking system may include a shock absorber.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of, and claims priority to, U.S.application Ser. No. 16/556,723 entitled “Systems and Methods forManufactured Modular Construction” filed on Aug. 30, 2019, the entirecontents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

SUMMARY

Systems, methods, and devices of the various embodiments may enablemanufactured modular construction.

Various embodiments may provide a modular building, comprising: at leastone lower horizontal element; at least one vertical element configuredto form a hollow central portion; at least one upper horizontal element;and at least one locking system connecting the lower horizontal element,the vertical element, and the upper horizontal element together.

Various embodiments may provide a locking system for a modular building,comprising: a shock absorber; and a locking element connected to theshock absorber, wherein the shock absorber and locking element togetherconnect an upper element of the modular building to a foundation or alower horizontal element of the modular building and pull the upperelement toward the foundation or the lower horizontal element to therebylock a vertical element and/or a vertical panel in place between theupper element and the foundation or the lower horizontal element. Invarious embodiments, the upper element may be an upper horizontalelement of the modular building.

Various embodiments may provide a method of installing a modularbuilding, comprising: affixing at least one lower horizontal element toa foundation; sliding a vertical element configured to form a hollowcentral portion over a first raised portion of the lower horizontalelement; sliding a vertical panel over a second raised portion of thelower horizontal element and over a raised surface element of thevertical element; sliding an upper horizontal element into the verticalelement and the vertical panel; affixing a locking system between thelower horizontal element and the upper horizontal element; andtensioning the locking system to pull the lower horizontal element, thevertical element, and the upper horizontal element together.

Various embodiments may provide a modular building kit, comprising: atleast one lower horizontal element; at least one vertical elementconfigured to form a hollow central portion; at least one upperhorizontal element; and at least one locking system configured toconnect the lower horizontal element, the vertical element, and theupper horizontal element together.

Various embodiments may provide a modular building, comprising: meansfor affixing at least one lower horizontal element to a foundation;means for sliding a vertical element configured to form a hollow centralportion over a first raised portion of the lower horizontal element;means for sliding a vertical panel over a second raised portion of thelower horizontal element and over a raised surface element of thevertical element; means for sliding an upper horizontal element into thevertical element and the vertical panel; means for affixing a lockingsystem between the lower horizontal element and the upper horizontalelement; and means for tensioning the locking system to pull the lowerhorizontal element, the vertical element, and the upper horizontalelement together.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein and constitutepart of this specification, illustrate example aspects of the claims,and together with the general description given above and the detaileddescription given below, serve to explain the features of the claims.

FIG. 1A illustrates a floor plan of a modular building according tovarious embodiments.

FIGS. 1B and 1C illustrate interior views of rooms of the embodimentmodule building of FIG. 1A.

FIGS. 1D and 1E illustrate exterior views of the embodiment modularbuilding of FIG. 1A.

FIG. 2A is an exterior view of a multi-floor modular building accordingto various embodiments.

FIG. 2B is a close-up view of a portion of the embodiment multi-floormodular building of FIG. 2A.

FIG. 3 is a cut-away view of a straight wall connection between two wallpanels and a vertical element according to various embodiments.

FIG. 4A is a cut-away view of a corner wall connection between two wallpanels and a vertical element according to various embodiments.

FIG. 4B is a cut-away view of a corner wall connection between twowindow panels and a vertical element according to various embodiments.

FIG. 5A is a cut-away view of a t-wall connection between three wallpanels and a vertical element according to various embodiments.

FIG. 5B is a cut-away view of a t-wall connection between two wallpanels, a window panel, and a vertical element according to variousembodiments.

FIG. 6A is a cut-away view of a roof portion, vertical element, and wallpanel of a modular building according to various embodiments.

FIG. 6B is another cut-away view of the embodiment modular building ofFIG. 6A.

FIG. 6C is a cut-away view of a roof portion and wall panel of a modularbuilding according to various embodiments.

FIG. 7A is a cut-away view of a lower horizontal element, verticalelement, and wall panel of a modular building according to variousembodiments.

FIG. 7B is a component diagram of a lower horizontal element, verticalelement, and wall panel being slid together to form a modular buildingaccording to various embodiments.

FIG. 7C is a cut-away view of a lower horizontal element and verticalelement of a modular building according to various embodiments.

FIG. 8 is a view of a roof portion of a modular building according tovarious embodiments.

FIGS. 9A and 9B are cut-away views of roof portions of a modularbuilding according to various embodiments.

FIG. 10A is a cut-away view of a door panel of a modular buildingaccording to various embodiments.

FIG. 10B is a cut-away view of another door panel of a modular buildingaccording to various embodiments.

FIG. 11 is a cut-away view of a door panel of a modular buildingaccording to various embodiments.

FIG. 12 is a cut-away view of a window panel of a modular buildingaccording to various embodiments.

FIG. 13 is another cut-away view of the embodiment window panel of FIG.12.

FIG. 14 is a cut-away view of a roof panel according to variousembodiments with the aluminum composite panel removed.

FIG. 15 is a cut-away view of a roof panel according to variousembodiments.

FIGS. 16A-16C illustrate views of another modular building according tovarious embodiments.

FIG. 17 is a cut-away view of a floor support for a modular buildingaccording to various embodiments.

FIG. 18 illustrates different horizontal element configurationsaccording to various embodiments.

FIG. 19 illustrates horizontal elements arranged into an H-framesuitable for installation on a foundation according to variousembodiments.

FIG. 20 illustrates various panels according to various embodiments.

FIG. 21 illustrates a cut-away view a corner portion of a modularbuilding according to various embodiments.

FIG. 22 illustrates cut-away side views of two panel seal configurationsaccording to various embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The various aspects will be described in detail with reference to theaccompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numberswill be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts.References made to particular examples and implementations are forillustrative purposes, and are not intended to limit the scope of theclaims. As used herein terms such as “vertical”, “horizontal”, “upper”,“lower”, “foundation”, “roof”, “wall”, “over”, “under”, etc., are usedas typically used in the construction industry to relate to anorientation of a building constructed on level ground, such as theorientation of a building as shown in FIG. 1D.

Affordable housing developers are facing more obstacles to building newprojects, even though the need for affordable housing grows strongerevery year. In the United States (U.S.), the Federal Low-Income HousingTax Credit (LIHTC) program is providing less funding than it did inprior years, while the cost of construction is getting more expensive.Specifically, land, labor and material costs continue to rise. As aresult, individual development deals that make financial sense aregetting harder to find.

In the U.S. market, poor families are having an increasingly difficulttime finding an affordable place to live, due to high rents, staticincomes and a shortage of housing aid. An estimated 11 million familiesin the U.S. now pay more than half their income on rent, a number thathas grown steadily as the supply of affordable housing shrinks.Similarly, in England, property is unaffordable for one hundred thousandhouseholds a year. Almost one hundred thousand households in England arebeing priced out of the property market each year because of a shortageof affordable homes to rent or buy. Additionally, the government inGermany estimates that there is a need for three hundred and fiftythousand new dwellings per year. The U.S., England, and Germany aremerely just three examples, and many more countries worldwide face thesame shortage of low income housing.

Commonly, modular buildings are built as a single unit or largecomponent in a factory. These single units and larger componentscurrently used for modular construction are costly to transport to abuilding site and require large heavy lifting equipment (e.g., a crane,etc.) for installation. The installation of these single units andlarger components currently requires a large number of fasteners and islabor intensive. Additionally, current modular buildings are expensiveto expand. The cost and labor intensiveness of current modular buildingsand their construction techniques has previously prevented modularbuildings from being used to address housing shortage worldwide.

Systems, methods, and devices of the various embodiments may enablemanufactured modular construction. The various embodiment manufacturedmodular construction systems, methods, and devices may offer a solutionto the housing shortage worldwide that is less than half the cost of thecost of current modular buildings. Additionally, the various embodimentmanufactured modular construction systems, methods, and devices mayprovide labor cost savings in that the various embodiments may enableembodiment modular buildings to be erected in shorter amounts of timethan the time required for current modular buildings. Various embodimentmanufactured modular construction systems, methods, and devices mayprovide modular buildings exceeding existing buildings in strength anddurability. Various embodiment manufactured modular constructionsystems, methods, and devices may provide modular buildings having alower building cost than buildings built using current buildingtechnologies. Various embodiment manufactured modular constructionsystems, methods, and devices may provide modular buildings in whichstructural elements (e.g., walls, roofs, etc.) are held together withouta need for glue or caulk.

Various embodiments may include interlocking vertical and horizontalelements. In various embodiments, the vertical and/or horizontalelements may be extruded, pultruded, cast, or otherwise fabricatedelements. In various embodiments, the profiles of the vertical andhorizontal elements may interlock together forming vertical and/orhorizontal channels for electric, data, plumbing, HVAC (heating,ventilation, and air conditioning), and any other type connectionsand/or utilities suitable for use in a modular building. In variousembodiments, the vertical and/or horizontal elements may be formed fromfiber-reinforced plastic (FRP) (also referred to as fiber-reinforcedpolymer). In various embodiments, the FRP may be colored and/ortextured. In various embodiments, the FRP may be a thermal insulator. Invarious embodiments, panels (e.g., vertical panels, such as door panels,window panels, wall panels, etc. and/or roof panels) may slide into thevertical and/or horizontal elements. In various embodiments, verticalpanels (e.g., wall panels, etc.) and/or roof panels may be formed fromaluminum composite with a structural foam (e.g., polyethylene foam,etc.). As one example, the aluminum composite may be a layered compositeof aluminum sheeting layers adhered to the front and back of a sheet ofpolyethylene. For example, the vertical panels and/or roof panels may beformed from a foam sandwiched between an aluminum frame. The structuralfoam may act as an insulator (e.g., an R-38 rated insulator) and a soundabsorber. In various embodiments, a roof profile may include anintegrated gutter. In various embodiments, the vertical and/orhorizontal elements may include raised features that interact withgrooves on the panels (e.g., grooves on the vertical panels, such asdoor panels, window panels, wall panels, etc. and/or grooves on the roofpanels) to align the vertical and/or horizontal elements with theadjoining panels as tongue and groove joints. In alternativeembodiments, the vertical and/or horizontal elements may include groovesthat may interact with raised features on the panels (e.g., grooves onthe vertical panels, such as door panels, window panels, wall panels,etc. and/or grooves on the roof panels) to align the vertical and/orhorizontal elements with the adjoining panels as tongue and groovejoints.

Various embodiments may include a locking system pulling upperhorizontal elements of an embodiment modular building toward lowerhorizontal elements of the embodiment modular building to thereby lockvertical elements and vertical panels in place between the upperhorizontal elements and the lower horizontal elements. Variousembodiments may include a locking system pulling upper horizontalelements of an embodiment modular building toward the foundation and/orlower floors of the embodiment modular building to thereby lock verticalelements and vertical panels in place between the upper horizontalelements and the foundation and/or lower floors. In various embodiments,the locking system may not require fasteners to connect the verticalelements to the vertical panels of an embodiment modular building. Invarious embodiments, the locking system may enable an embodiment modularbuilding to be erected or disassembled at a speed faster than the speedat which current modular buildings are assembled/disassembled. Invarious embodiments, the locking system may include a shock absorber. Invarious embodiments, the shock absorber may include a rubber block, ahydraulic system, a spring, or any other type shock dampening device. Invarious embodiments, the locking system may not require glue or caulk tohold the structural elements (e.g., the vertical elements, verticalpanels, horizontal elements, roof panels, etc.) of an embodiment modularbuilding together.

Various embodiments may provide modular buildings with multi-floorlayouts in various increments. In some embodiments, the increments maybe 4.2 foot (ft) (or 1.3 meter (m)) increments. In various embodiments,components of a modular building may be energy efficient. Variousembodiments may provide a modular building that may be assembled in twohours or less, such as 1.5 to 2 hours, etc., by unskilled workerswithout a crane at the building site rather than at a factory. Variousembodiments may provide a modular building that may be assembled by twounskilled workers at a rate of 0.5 to 2 minutes (min) per square foot(sqft), such as 1 min per sqft. Various embodiments may provide amodular building that resists fire, water, mold, corrosion, and chemicaldamage. Various embodiments may provide a modular building that isexpandable by adding additional vertical and/or horizontal elements.Various embodiments may provide a modular building that may survive theforce of a hurricane. In various embodiments, the heaviest component ofthe modular building may weigh fifty-five kilograms (kg) (or one hundredand twenty-one pounds (lbs)). Various embodiments may provide a modularbuilding as a kit of components that weight fifty-five kg or less andare assembled at a building site.

Various embodiments may provide a modular building that is a modularhousing unit. The modular housing unit may have a foot print of at least4.1 m×8.1 m (or 13.4 ft×26.5 ft), such as 4.1 to 20 m×8.1 to 30 m, etc.The modular housing unit may provide a living space of at least 30.2square meters (sq m) (or 325 sqft), such as 325-1000 sqft. The modularhousing unit may include a bathroom module having a shower, sink,toilet, and vent. The modular housing unit may include a walk in closetmodule. The modular housing unit may include a modular kitchen cabinetsquick wall connect system. The modular housing unit may include akitchen sink with faucet. The modular housing unit may include arefrigerator and/or freezer. The modular housing unit may include astove, such as three or more burner stove. The modular housing unit mayinclude a hot water heater. The modular housing unit may include a splitair condition (AC) unit. The modular housing unit may include furnituresuch as a dining table and chairs, a sofa, a flat screen televisionmount, a desk and chair(s), etc. The modular housing unit may include asecurity system.

In some embodiments, a modular building may include a single modularhousing unit. In some embodiments, a modular building may include two ormore modular housing units. In some embodiments, a modular building unitmay be a modular apartment building formed from stacking one or moremodular housing unit on another modular housing unit. In such apartmentconfigurations, floor panels may replace the roof panels in all but theupper most modular housing units to thereby provide a floor for eachsuccessive stacked modular housing unit. As a specific example, amodular apartment building may include ten modular housing units on afirst floor, with ten additional modular housing units on a secondfloor, and ten additional modular housing units on third floor, therebycreating a three level and thirty unit modular apartment building.

In various embodiments, lower horizontal elements may connect to afoundation, such as a slab foundation, basement foundation, pilingfoundation, etc. The lower horizontal elements may be connected to thefoundation with any type fastener, such as pneumatic driven nails, wedgeanchors, screws, adhesives, etc. In various embodiments, the lowerhorizontal elements may have raised features that interconnect withlower portions (i.e., the portions toward the floor of the modularbuilding when installed) of the vertical panels (such as door panels,window panels, wall panels, etc.). As used herein, “raised features” or“raised elements” may refer to features that extend or protrude out froma surface. As such, the raised features of the lower horizontal elementsextend or protrude from a surface of the lower horizontal elements. Invarious embodiments, an upper portion of the lower horizontal elements(i.e., the portion of the lower horizontal elements that is opposite thefoundation side of the lower horizontal elements when installed) may beformed as a tongue structure that inserts into a groove structure of thevertical panels, such as door panels, window panels, wall panels, etc.,thereby joining the lower horizontal elements with vertical panels by atongue and groove type joint. In alternative embodiments, the lowerhorizontal elements may be formed as the groove structure and the tonguestructure may be formed on the vertical panels, such as door panels,window panels, wall panels, etc., thereby joining the lower horizontalelements with vertical panels by a tongue and groove type joint.

In various embodiments, lower horizontal elements may include a raisedfeature that interconnects with lower portions of the vertical elements(i.e., the portion of the vertical elements toward the floor of themodular building when installed). Vertical elements may be hollowpillars having any suitable horizontal cross sectional shape, such aspolygonal (e.g., rectangular, etc.), circular, oval, etc. In variousembodiments, an upper portion of the lower horizontal elements (i.e.,the portion of the lower horizontal elements that is opposite thefoundation side of the lower horizontal elements when installed) may beformed as raised structure (e.g., a tenon structure) that inserts into acenter cavity portion (e.g., a mortise structure) of the verticalelements, thereby joining the lower horizontal elements with verticalelements in effect by a mortise and tenon type joint. In variousembodiments, the vertical elements may create the height of each levelof the modular building. In various embodiments, vertical elements mayhave different profile shapes depending on the type of joint needed toconnect two vertical panels (e.g., door panels, window panels, wallpanels, etc.). As examples, some vertical elements may have a profileshape to form a straight wall between two vertical panels (e.g., doorpanels, window panels, wall panels, etc.), some vertical elements mayhave a profile shape to form a right angle corner between two verticalpanels (e.g., door panels, window panels, wall panels, etc.), somevertical elements may have a profile shape to form a t-shaped cornerbetween three vertical panels (e.g., door panels, window panels, wallpanels, etc.), some vertical elements may have a profile shape to form across shaped corner between four vertical panels (e.g., door panels,window panels, wall panels, etc.). In various embodiments, the verticalelements may have raised features on their sides that interconnect withside portions (i.e., portions running generally orthogonal to the floorand/or roof when installed) of the vertical panels (such as door panels,window panels, wall panels, etc.). In various embodiments, a sideportion of the vertical elements (i.e., the portion of the verticalelements that is generally orthogonal to the floor and/or roof wheninstalled) may be formed as a tongue structure that inserts into agroove structure of the vertical panels, such as door panels, windowpanels, wall panels, etc., thereby joining the vertical elements withvertical panels by a tongue and groove type joint. In alternativeembodiments, a side portion of the vertical elements (i.e., the portionof the vertical elements that is generally orthogonal to the floorand/or roof when installed) may be formed as a groove structure that atongue structure of the vertical panels, such as door panels, windowpanels, wall panels, etc., inserts into, thereby joining the verticalelements with vertical panels by a tongue and groove type joint. Invarious embodiments, at least a portion of a locking system, such as alock rod, lock cable, shock absorber, and/or any other portion of alocking system, may run through a hollow center portion (or hollowcentral portion) of the vertical elements. The hollow center portion ofa vertical element may run the full vertical length of the verticalelement. In various embodiments, no fasteners, glue, or caulk, may beneeded to keep the vertical elements in place during assembly of amodular building as the vertical elements may be supported by the raisedstructure (e.g., a tenon structure) of the horizontal elements thatinserts into a center cavity portion (e.g., a mortise structure) of thevertical elements.

In various embodiments, the lower horizontal elements may be configuredso as to form slots between the raised features that interconnect withlower portions of the vertical elements (i.e., the portion of thevertical elements toward the floor of the modular building wheninstalled) and the raised features that interconnect with lower portions(i.e., the portions toward the floor of the modular building wheninstalled) of the vertical panels (such as door panels, window panels,wall panels, etc.). The slots formed in the lower horizontal elementsmay provide a gap between the raised features that aligns with theraised features on the sides of the vertical elements. The slots mayenable the vertical elements to slide fully into the horizontalelements.

In various embodiments, a roof truss may be a horizontal elementconfigured similar to the vertical elements. The roof truss may includea hollow center portion that may run the full length of the roof truss.The roof trusses may include raised features on their sides thatinterconnect with side portions (i.e., portions running generallyparallel to the roof when installed) of the roof panels. In variousembodiments, a side portion of the roof truss (i.e., the portion of theroof truss that is generally parallel to the roof when installed) may beformed as a tongue structure that inserts into a groove structure of theroof panels, thereby joining roof truss with roof panels by a tongue andgroove type joint.

In various embodiments, the vertical panels (such as door panels, windowpanels, wall panels, etc.) and/or roof panels may be formed from asandwich of insulating foam (e.g., polyurethane foam, etc.) betweenaluminum composite sheets. The aluminum composite sheets may be alayered composite sheet of aluminum sheeting layers adhered to the frontand back of a sheet of polyethylene. A panel seal may be inserted intothe grooves of the vertical panels (such as door panels, window panels,wall panels, etc.) and/or roof panels that join to the vertical elementsand/or horizontal elements (e.g., lower horizontal elements, upperhorizontal elements, roof trusses, etc.) The panel seal may be formedfrom a compressible material, such a plastic, rubber, or other typematerial seal, that may act as a weather seal for the joints of themodular building. The panel seal may form a flexible seal between thevertical panels (such as door panels, window panels, wall panels, etc.)and/or roof panels that join to the vertical elements and/or horizontalelements (e.g., lower horizontal elements, upper horizontal elements,roof trusses, etc.). The panel seal may be affixed to the verticalpanels (such as door panels, window panels, wall panels, etc.) and/orroof panels, such as by glue, nails, friction, physical arrangement ofthe surface of the vertical panels (such as door panels, window panels,wall panels, etc.) and/or roof panels, and/or any element in any othermanner. The presence of the panel seal at the joint connection pointsmay eliminate the need for caulking and/or glue in the modular building.The panel seals may be flexible seals having one or more raised flexiblefeatures (e.g., lips, wipers, bubbles, etc.) extending from a main bodyof the panel seal. The raised flexible features (e.g., lips, wipers,bubbles, etc.) may be compressed toward the main body of the panel sealwhen the vertical panels (such as door panels, window panels, wallpanels, etc.), roof panels, vertical elements and/or horizontal elements(e.g., lower horizontal elements, upper horizontal elements, rooftrusses, etc.) are joined together and the compression of the raisedflexible features (e.g., lips, wipers, bubbles, etc.) may formcompression interlocks between the vertical panels (such as door panels,window panels, wall panels, etc.) and/or roof panels that join to thevertical elements and/or horizontal elements (e.g., lower horizontalelements, upper horizontal elements, roof trusses, etc.). In variousembodiments, the raised flexible features (e.g., lips, wipers, bubbles,etc.) may be compressed to lie flat against the main body of the panelseal when the structural elements of the modular building (e.g., thevertical panels (such as door panels, window panels, wall panels, etc.),roof panels, vertical elements and/or horizontal elements (e.g., lowerhorizontal elements, upper horizontal elements, roof trusses, etc.)) arejoined together. Additionally, the raised flexible features (e.g., lips,wipers, bubbles, etc.) may mold to the mating surface of the structuralelements of the modular building (e.g., the vertical panels (such asdoor panels, window panels, wall panels, etc.), roof panels, verticalelements and/or horizontal elements (e.g., lower horizontal elements,upper horizontal elements, roof trusses, etc.)) when the structuralelements are joined together. The flexibility of the panel seals maycompensate for tolerance variations in the profiles of the verticalpanels (such as door panels, window panels, wall panels, etc.), roofpanels, vertical elements and/or horizontal elements (e.g., lowerhorizontal elements, upper horizontal elements, roof trusses, etc.),especially when such structural elements of the modular building areformed from FRP. As the vertical panels (such as door panels, windowpanels, wall panels, etc.), roof panels, vertical elements and/orhorizontal elements (e.g., lower horizontal elements, upper horizontalelements, roof trusses, etc.) are joined together, the panel seals maycompress (e.g., the raised flexible features (e.g., lips, wipers,bubbles, etc.) may compress toward the main body of the panel seal,and/or the main body of the panel seal may compress) and the compressionmay provide the required tolerances for the structural elements of themodular building to fit together, as well as may act as a shock absorberbetween the structural elements. This compression of the panel seals maymake the structural elements of the modular building (e.g., the verticalpanels (such as door panels, window panels, wall panels, etc.), roofpanels, vertical elements and/or horizontal elements (e.g., lowerhorizontal elements, upper horizontal elements, roof trusses, etc.))easier to fit together. Additionally, by compensating for tolerancevariation in the structural elements of the modular building (e.g., thevertical panels (such as door panels, window panels, wall panels, etc.),roof panels, vertical elements and/or horizontal elements (e.g., lowerhorizontal elements, upper horizontal elements, roof trusses, etc.)),this compression of the panel seals may prevent modular panels from notfitting together at a build site and needing to be shipped back to asupplier due to not fitting, thereby overcoming the non-fitting problemfaced in assembling current modular buildings.

In various embodiments, the grooves of the vertical panels (such as doorpanels, window panels, wall panels, etc.) and/or roof panels interactingwith the raised portions of the vertical elements and/or horizontalelements (e.g., lower horizontal elements, upper horizontal elements,roof trusses, etc.) may form vertical and/or horizontal channels forelectric, data, plumbing, HVAC (heating, ventilation, and airconditioning), and any other type connections and/or utilities suitablefor use in a modular building. Connections to outside utilities may bemade by push connections and/or other type connections to theconnections and/or utilities running through the modular building. Thepresence of the vertical and/or horizontal channels may eliminate theneed to make holes in the walls of the modular building for connectionsand/or utilities.

In various embodiments, upper horizontal elements may be the mirrorimage of the lower horizontal elements. Said another way, the upperhorizontal elements may be inverted lower horizontal elements. Forexample, the upper horizontal elements may have raised features thatinterconnect with upper portions (i.e., the portions toward the roof ofthe modular building when installed) of the vertical panels (such asdoor panels, window panels, wall panels, etc.). In various embodiments,an lower portion of the upper horizontal elements (i.e., the portion ofthe upper horizontal elements that is toward the foundation side of theupper horizontal elements when installed) may be formed as a tonguestructure that inserts into a groove structure of the vertical panels,such as door panels, window panels, wall panels, etc., or vice-versa,thereby joining the upper horizontal elements with vertical panels by atongue and groove type joint. As another example, the upper horizontalelements may include a raised feature that interconnects with upperportions of the vertical elements (i.e., the portion of the verticalelements toward the roof of the modular building when installed). Invarious embodiments, a lower portion of the upper horizontal elements(i.e., the portion of the upper horizontal elements that is opposite theroof side of the upper horizontal elements when installed) may be formedas raised structure (e.g., a tenon structure) that inserts into a centercavity portion (e.g., a mortise structure) of the vertical elements,thereby joining the upper horizontal elements with vertical elements ineffect by a mortise and tenon type joint. As a further example, theupper horizontal elements may be configured so as to form slots betweenthe raised features that interconnect with upper portions of thevertical elements (i.e., the portion of the vertical elements toward theroof of the modular building when installed) and the raised featuresthat interconnect with upper portions (i.e., the portions toward theroof of the modular building when installed) of the vertical panels(such as door panels, window panels, wall panels, etc.). The slotsformed in the upper horizontal elements may provide a gap between theraised features that aligns with the raised features on the sides of thevertical elements. The slots may enable the upper horizontal elements toslide fully into the vertical elements and the vertical panels (such asdoor panels, window panels, wall panels, etc.). The upper horizontalelements may trap the vertical elements and the vertical panels (such asdoor panels, window panels, wall panels, etc.) between the upperhorizontal elements and the lower horizontal elements.

In various embodiments, a locking system may hold the vertical elementsand the vertical panels (such as door panels, window panels, wallpanels, etc.) in place between the upper horizontal elements and thelower horizontal elements. In various embodiments, the locking systemmay include a multitude of rods or cables that pull the upper horizontalelements toward the lower horizontal elements, thereby locking allin-between components (i.e., the vertical elements and the verticalpanels (such as door panels, window panels, wall panels, etc.) in place.In this manner, the locking system may eliminate all common fastenersused in the building industry and reduces the time to erect a modularbuilding. Similarly, the locking system may eliminate the need for glueor caulk to be used to hold structural components (e.g., the verticalelements and the vertical panels (such as door panels, window panels,wall panels, etc.), horizontal elements, roof panels, etc.) together.Additionally, the locking system may enable quick disassembly of abuilding. In various embodiments, a shock absorbing system may beincorporated into the locking system to increase stress resistanceduring heavy wind loads, explosions, and/or earthquakes. In variousembodiments, the shock absorbing system of the locking system may enablethe roof to move and snap back during a negative pressure spike. Assuch, various embodiments may be flexible increasing the modularbuilding's strength under excessive external forces and an embodimentmodular building may pass the 8 pounds-per-square-inch (PSI) blastbuilding standard.

In various embodiments, a roof support may be configured to affix to theupper horizontal elements. The roof support may extend horizontallybeyond the upper horizontal elements to support the roof. In variousembodiments, roof clamps may affix the roof panels and roof trusses tothe roof support and thereby to the external vertical walls of themodular building formed by the joined the vertical elements and thevertical panels (such as door panels, window panels, wall panels, etc.).In various embodiments, a weather seal for the roof section may beformed as a gutter forming a channel to collect rain water.

In various embodiments, a floor support may be configured to affix tothe upper horizontal elements. In this manner, the floor support mayenable the construction of multi-floor modular buildings. The floorsupport may be a horizontal element configured to support a floorsection and/or lower horizontal elements. In various embodiments, afloor section may be similar in construction to a roof as describedherein and the floor section may be supported by a protrusion from thefloor support. The floor support may extend horizontally beyond theupper horizontal elements to support the floor. The lower horizontalelements of the next floor of the modular building may be affixed to thefloor support. The floor support may separate each floor of the modularbuilding and a roof may be affixed to the top floor using a roof supportas described herein rather than another floor support.

FIGS. 1A-1E illustrate aspects of a modular building 100 according tovarious embodiments. As one example, the modular building 100 may be amodular housing unit. The modular building 100 may be any size. As oneexample, the modular building 100 may have a foot print of 4.1 m×8.1 m(or 13.4 ft×26.5 ft). As an example, the modular building 100 mayprovide a living space of 30.2 square meters (sq m) (or 325 sqft). Withreference to FIGS. 1A-1E, FIG. 1A illustrates a floor plan of themodular building 100. As illustrated in FIG. 1A, the modular building100 may include various modules therein, such as a bathroom module,bedroom module 115, and living room module 116. The bathroom module mayinclude a toilet and sink area 103 and shower area 104. The bedroommodule 115 may include a bed 101 and desk 102. The living room module116 may include cabinets 107, a refrigerator 105, table 106, and sofa108. The modular building may include a HVAC unit 109, such as a splitAC. Exterior walls 110 may form the outer portions of the modularbuilding 100 and interior wall 111 may separate the interior rooms ofthe modular building 100.

FIGS. 1B and 1C illustrate interior views from the living room module116 and bedroom module 115, respectively, of the embodiment modulebuilding 100. FIGS. 1D and 1E illustrate exterior views of the modularbuilding 100. As illustrated in FIGS. 1B-1E, the walls of the modularbuilding 100 may be formed from a series of panels, such as wall panels123, window panels 120, and door panels 121, interconnected by verticalelements 131. The interconnected panels and vertical elements 131 maysupport a roof 125 of the modular building 100.

FIG. 2A is an exterior view of a multi-floor modular building 200according to various embodiments. FIG. 2B is a close-up view of aportion of the multi-floor modular building 200. With reference to FIGS.1A-2B, in various embodiments, modular building units, such as modularbuilding units similar to modular building 100, may be stacked to formthe multi-floor modular building 200, such as a modular apartmentbuilding. For example, three floors 201, 202, and 203 of modularbuilding units may be stacked on top of one another to form themulti-floor modular building 200. In such multi-floor configurations,floor panels may replace the roof panels in all but the upper most floor203 of the modular housing units to thereby provide a floor for eachsuccessive stacked modular housing unit. As a specific example, themulti-floor modular building 200 may include ten modular housing unitson a first floor 201, with ten additional modular housing units on asecond floor 202, and ten additional modular housing units on thirdfloor 203, thereby creating a three level and thirty unit multi-floormodular building 200.

FIG. 3 is a cut-away view of a straight wall connection between two wallpanels 306 which correspond to wall panels 123 in FIGS. 1A-1E and avertical element 312 which corresponds to the vertical element 131 inFIGS. 1A-1E according to various embodiments. With reference to FIGS.1A-3, in various embodiments, the vertical element 312 may be formedfrom FRP. In various embodiments, the FRP may be colored and/ortextured. In various embodiments, the FRP may be a thermal insulator. Invarious embodiments, the vertical element 312 may be an extruded and/orpultruded element formed so as to have a hollow central portion 329.However other suitable structural materials may be used. In variousembodiments, the vertical element 312 may create the height for eachlevel of a modular building. In various embodiments, vertical elementsmay have different profile shapes depending on the type of joint neededto connect two vertical panels (e.g., door panels, window panels, wallpanels, etc.). As illustrated in FIG. 3, the vertical element 312 may bea straight wall element configured to form a straight wall connectionbetween two panels, such as two wall panels 306 (and/or window and/ordoor panels). In various embodiments, the vertical element 312 may slideon to a raised portion of the lower horizontal element 350 that may beaffixed to a foundation or floor.

In various embodiments, the wall panels 306 may be formed from a foam307 core sandwiched between an aluminum frame of aluminum compositepanels (ACPs) 308 and an aluminum profile frame 310. In variousembodiments, the wall panels 306 may be structural insulated panels(SIPs) formed from a sandwich of ACP or other hard materials and foam.The ACP panels 308 may be a layered composite of aluminum sheetinglayers adhered to the front and back of a sheet of polyethylene. Thestructural foam 307 (e.g., polyurethane foam, etc.) may act as aninsulator (e.g., an R-38 rated insulator) and a sound absorber. Howeverother suitable structural materials may be used. The aluminum profileframe 310 may encircle the panel 306 and support panel seals 305. Thepanel seal 305 may be a plastic, rubber, or other type material sealthat may act as a weather seal for the joints of the modular building.In this manner, glue and/or caulk may not be needed for the joints ofthe modular building. The ACP panels may extend beyond the foam 307 coreand form a groove structure along the edge of the wall panels 306 thatsupports the aluminum profile frame 310 and panel seals 305 therein. Insome embodiments, the aluminum profile frame 310 may clamp the panelseals 305 in place, and the aluminum profile frame 310 and panel seals305 may also form a groove structure within the groove structure alongthe edge of the wall panels 306. The groove structure formed by thealuminum profile frame 310 and panel seals 305 along the edge of thewall panels 306 may slide over a raised portion of the lower horizontalelement 350 that may be affixed to a foundation or floor.

In various embodiments, the vertical element 312 may have raisedfeatures 315 on sides that interconnect with the panels, such as the twowall panels 306 (e.g., door panels, window panels, wall panels, etc.).The raised features 315 may form a tongue structure that inserts intothe groove structure formed by the aluminum profile frame 310 and panelseals 305 along the edge of the wall panels 306, thereby joining thevertical element 312 with wall panels 306 by respective tongue andgroove type joints. The aluminum profile frame 310 may be curved metalthat holds the panel seal 305 in place. In various embodiments, thefront of the panel seal 305 may have flexible wipers that contact theraised features 315 to seal the aluminum profile frame 310 to the raisedfeatures 315. When the vertical element 312 and the wall panel 306 arejoined together, a channel 316, such as a vertical channel, may beformed between the vertical element 312 and the wall panel 306. Thechannel 316 may provide a passageway for electric, data, plumbing, HVAC(heating, ventilation, and air conditioning), and any other typeconnections and/or utilities suitable for use in a modular building.

In various embodiments, the vertical element 312 may be inserted over ashock absorber 304 affixed to the lower horizontal element 350. Theshock absorber 304 may fit within the hollow central portion 329. Ashock absorber 304 may be optional, and not all vertical elements mayinclude a shock absorber 304. A lock rod 302 may run through the hollowcentral portion 329 of the vertical element 312. The lock rod 302 and/orshock absorber 304, may be components of a locking system pulling upperhorizontal elements toward the lower horizontal elements and securingthe vertical element 312 and wall panels 306 in place. The lock rod 302(or lock cable, or other locking mechanism) may be tensioned duringinstallation to create force holding the modular building wallstogether.

FIG. 4A is a cut-away view of a corner wall connection between two wallpanels 306 and a vertical element 412 according to various embodiments.With reference to FIGS. 1A-4A, the corner wall connection illustrated inFIG. 4A is similar to the straight wall connection of FIG. 3, exceptthat the vertical elements 412 and 312 differ. Vertical element 412 maybe similar to vertical element 312, except that vertical element 412 mayhave a different shape to form a right angle corner between two panels,such as wall panels 306. Specifically, the raised features 315 on sidesthat interconnect with the panels, such as the two wall panels 306,rather than being on opposite sides, may be on ninety-degree offsetsides of the vertical element 312.

FIG. 4B is a cut-away view of a corner wall connection between twowindow panels 406 (which correspond to window panel 120 in FIGS. 1A-1E)and a vertical element 412. With reference to FIGS. 1A-4B, FIG. 4Billustrates an upper portion of the vertical element 412. The cornerwall connection of FIG. 4B is similar to the corner wall connection ofFIG. 4A, except rather than two wall panels 306, two window panels 406are connected by the vertical element 412. Additionally, the panel seal405 in FIG. 4B is configured in an alternative shape from the panel seal305 of FIGS. 3 and 4A.

The window panels 406 may include a window pane 450 affixed to a windowframe profile 453 by a spacer 452 and lock bar 451. In some embodiments,the window frame profile 453 may be formed from aluminum. In someembodiments, the spacer 452 may be formed from rubber. The window panels406 may include panels 454 sandwiching the window frame profile 453therebetween. Similarly to the wall panels 306, the window panels 406may include an aluminum profile frame 310 encircling the window panel406 and supporting the panel seals 405. The panel seal 405 may be aplastic, rubber, or other type material seal that may act as a weatherseal for the joints of the modular building. The panels 454 may extendbeyond the window frame profile 453 and form a groove structure alongthe edge of the window panels 406 that supports the aluminum profileframe 310 and panel seals 405 therein. In some embodiments, the aluminumprofile frame 310 may clamp the panel seals 405 in place between raisedelements 315 and aluminum profile frame 310, and the aluminum profileframe 310 and panel seals 405 may also form a groove structure withinthe groove structure along the edge of the window panels 406. The groovestructure formed by the aluminum profile frame 310 and panel seals 405along the edge of the window panels 406 may slide over a raised portionof the lower horizontal element 350 that may be affixed to a foundationor floor. The raised features 315 of the vertical element 412 mayinterconnect with the panels 306, 406. The raised features 315 may forma tongue structure that inserts into the groove structure formed by thealuminum profile frame 310 and panel seals 405 along the edge of thepanels 306, 406, thereby joining the vertical element 412 with panels306, 406 by respective tongue and groove type joints. When the verticalelement 412 and the panels 306, 406 are joined together, channels 316,such vertical channels, may be formed between the vertical element 412and the panels 306, 406 as discussed above.

FIG. 5A is a cut-away view of a t-wall connection between three wallpanels and a vertical element according to various embodiments. Withreference to FIGS. 1A-5A, the t-wall connection illustrated in FIG. 5Ais similar to the straight wall connection of FIG. 3 and the corner wallconnections of FIGS. 4A and 4B, except that the vertical elements 512,312, and 412 differ. Vertical element 512 may be similar to verticalelements 312, 412, except that vertical element 512 may have a differentshape to form a three joint (i.e., t-shaped) corner between threepanels, such as wall panels 306. Specifically, the raised features 315on sides that interconnect with the panels, such as the three wallpanels 306, offset ninety degrees from one another.

FIG. 5B is a cut-away view of a t-wall connection between two wallpanels 306, a window panel 406, and a vertical element 512. Withreference to FIGS. 1A-5B, the t-wall connection illustrated in FIG. 5Ais similar to the t-wall connection in FIG. 5A, except the connection ismade with panel seals 405 rather than panel seals 305.

FIGS. 6A and 6B are cut-away views of a roof portion, vertical element612, and wall panel of an embodiments modular building. With referenceto FIGS. 1A-6B, the vertical element 612 may be any type verticalelement, such as a straight wall vertical element 312, corner verticalelement 412, t-wall vertical element 512, etc. As illustrated in FIG.6A, an upper horizontal element 610 may be inserted in the upper portionof the vertical element 612. The lock rod 302 may pass through thehollow central portion 329 of the vertical element 612 and be affixed tothe upper horizontal element 610, such as by a nut 620. The lock rod 302may be tensioned to pull the upper horizontal element 610 down onto thevertical element 612 and the vertical element 612 down onto a horizontalelement 350 under the vertical element 612. The upper horizontal element610 may include panel seals 305 on a portion of the upper horizontalelement 610 that insert into the hollow central portion 329 of thevertical element 612. Similarly, the upper horizontal element 610 mayinsert into the groove portion of the wall panel 306 formed by thealuminum profile frame 310 and panel seals 305 along the edge of thewall panels 306. As illustrated in FIG. 6B, the when the wall panel 306is joined with the upper horizontal element 610, a channel 316 may beformed therebetween.

A roof support 616 may be configured to affix to the upper horizontalelement 610. The roof support 616 may be a set of elongated bars orhollow frame. The roof support 616 may extend horizontally beyond theupper horizontal elements 610 to support a roof panel 630. In variousembodiments, roof clamps 604 may affix the roof panels 630 and rooftrusses 902 (see FIGS. 9A and 9B) to the roof support 616 and thereby tothe external vertical walls of the modular building formed by the joinedvertical elements 612 and the wall panels 306. In various embodiments,the roof panels 630 may be formed from a foam 632 core sandwichedbetween an aluminum frame of aluminum composite panels (ACPs) 631 and analuminum profile frame 310. In various embodiments, the roof panels 630may be structural insulated panels (SIPs) formed from a sandwich of ACPor other hard materials and foam. The ACPs 631 may be a layeredcomposite of aluminum sheeting layers adhered to the front and back of asheet of polyethylene. The structural foam 632 (e.g., polyurethane,etc.) may act as an insulator (e.g., an R-38 rated insulator) and asound absorber. The aluminum profile frame 310 may encircle the panel630 and support panel seals 305. The panel seal 305 may be a plastic,rubber, or other type material seal that may act as a weather seal forthe joints of the modular building. The ACP panels 630 may extend beyondthe foam 632 core and form a groove structure along the edge of the roofpanel 630 that supports the aluminum profile frame 310 and panel seals305 therein. In some embodiments, the aluminum profile frame 310 mayclamp the panel seals 305 in place, and the aluminum profile frame 310and panel seals 305 may also form a groove structure within the groovestructure along the edge of the roof panel 630. The groove structureformed by the aluminum profile frame 310 and panel seals 305 along theedge of the roof panel 630 may be affixed to the roof support 616 by oneor more roof clamps 604. In various embodiments, a weather seal for theroof section may be formed as a gutter 615 forming a channel to collectrain water. The gutter 615 may insert into a groove of the roof panel630.

In some embodiments, a panel bracket 602 may affix a portion of a wallpanel 306 to the vertical element 612. In some embodiments, a roofsupport fastener 605, such as a bolt, etc., may extend through the roofclamps 604, roof support, and upper horizontal elements 610 to clamp theroof panel 630 and upper horizontal element 610 to the panels of themodular building, such as the wall panels 306.

FIG. 6C is a cut-away view of a roof portion and wall panel 306 of amodular building according to various embodiments. With reference toFIGS. 1A-6C, the roof portion of FIG. 6C is similar to the roof portionof FIGS. 6A and 6B, except a different gutter 660 shape and differentpanel seal 405 shape is shown.

FIG. 7A is a cut-away view of a lower horizontal element 350, verticalelement 612, and wall panel 306 connected together. With reference toFIGS. 1A-7A, the vertical element 612 may be any type vertical element,such as a straight wall vertical element 312, corner vertical element412, t-wall vertical element 512, etc. FIG. 7A illustrates one type ofshock absorber 304 suitable for use with the various embodiments. In theshock absorber 304 may be formed from a rubber block 701 supportedbetween a top plate 702 and bottom plate 703. In other embodiments, therubber block 701 may be replace with a hydraulic system (e.g., ahydraulic cylinder, etc.), spring, or other type shock absorber. The topplate 702 may be compressed against the rubber block 701 by a fastener706, such as a bolt, etc., that passes through the top plate 702, rubberblock 701, and bottom plate 703. The fastener 706 may affix the shockabsorber 304 to a lower horizontal element 350. The bottom plate 703 maybe compressed against the rubber block 701 by one or more fasteners 705(e.g., one or more bolts, etc.), such as two fasteners 705, etc., thatpasses through the bottom plate 703, rubber block 701, and top bottomplate 702. The one or more fasteners 705 may connect to a catch plate704 that is affixed to the lock rod 302. The catch plate 704 may beaffixed to the lock rod 302 in any manner. For example, the lock rod 302may slide into a slot in the catch plate 704. The rubber block 701 mayexpand and contract between the upper plate 702 and lower plate 703 todampen forces acting on the vertical element 612. In variousembodiments, the shock absorber 304 may be incorporated into the lockingsystem to increase stress resistance during heavy wind loads,explosions, and/or earthquakes. In various embodiments, the shockabsorber 304 of the locking system may enable the roof to move and snapback during a negative pressure spike. The tension of the lock rod 302and shock absorber 304 may pull the upper horizontal elements 610 downtoward the lower horizontal elements 350 to secure the walls of themodular building. As seen in FIG. 7A, the lower horizontal element 350may include panel seals 305 on the rail feature 725 of the lowerhorizontal element 350 contacting the inner surface of the verticalelement 612 when inserted into the hollow central portion 329 of thevertical element 612.

FIG. 7B is a component diagram of a lower horizontal element 350,vertical element 512, and wall panel 306 being slid together. Withreference to FIGS. 1A-7B, the lower horizontal element 350 may include afirst raised portion 720 and a second raised portion 721. The firstraised portion 720 and the second raised portion 721 may both includerail features 725. The first raised portion 720 may be separated fromthe second raised portion 721 so as to form a slot 722 therebetween. Theslot 722 may receive the raised elements 315 of the vertical element 512when slid together. The vertical element 512 is shown being slid overthe shock absorber 304. The first raised portion 720 of the lowerhorizontal element 350 may include a panel seal 405 affixed to the railelements 725, while the second raised portion 721 may not include apanel seal on the rail elements 725.

FIG. 7C is a cut-away view of a lower horizontal element 350 andvertical element 612 connected together with a window panel 406. Withreference to FIGS. 1-7C, a floor 790 is also visible in FIG. 7C.

FIG. 8 is a view of a roof portion of a modular building. With referenceto FIGS. 1A-8, the roof portion is similar to the roof portions shown inFIGS. 6A-6C, except no gutter is shown. The roof support is illustratedclamped to the wall of the building formed by the vertical element 612and the wall panel 306 by the roof clamps 604. As illustrated in FIG. 8,the roof clamps 604 may extend over the panel seal 405 of the roof panel630 and into the groove formed by the aluminum frame profile 310.

FIGS. 9A and 9B are cut-away views of roof portions of a modularbuilding according to various embodiments. With reference to FIGS.1A-9B, FIG. 9A shows a roof truss 902 connected between two roof panels630 with one shape of panel seal 305 while FIG. 9B shows the roof truss902 connected between two roof panels 630 with another shape of panelseal 405. Roof trusses 902 may be similar to vertical elements (e.g.,vertical elements 412, 612, etc.) and may connect two roof panels 630together. The roof trusses 902 may include a hollow center portion 904.

In various embodiments, the roof trusses 902 may have raised features903 on sides that interconnect with the panels, such as the two roofpanels 630. The raised features 903 may form a tongue structure thatinserts into the groove structure formed by the aluminum profile frame310 and panel seals 305, 405 along the edge of the roof panels 630,thereby joining the roof trusses 902 with roof panels 630 by respectivetongue and groove type joints. When the roof trusses 902 with roofpanels 630 are joined together, a channel 905, such as a horizontalchannel, may be formed between the roof trusses 902 with roof panels630. The channel 905 may provide a passageway for electric, data,plumbing, HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning), and anyother type connections and/or utilities suitable for use in a modularbuilding.

FIGS. 10A-11 are cut away views of embodiment door panels 1001. Withreference to FIGS. 1A-11, the door panel 1001 that corresponds to thedoor panel 121 in FIGS. 1B-1E and may include a door 1002, door stop1003, a door frame profile 1030, aluminum composite panels (ACPs) 1008,a foam core 1007, and an aluminum profile frame 310. The ACPs 1008 maybe a layered composite of aluminum sheeting layers adhered to the frontand back of a sheet of polyethylene. In various embodiments, the wallpanels door panel 1001 may be structural insulated panels (SIPs) formedfrom a sandwich of ACP or other hard materials and foam. The door may beaffixed to the door frame profile 1030 by one or more hinges. The doorpanel 1001 may include panels 1008 sandwiching the door frame profile1030 and foam core 1007 therebetween. Similarly to the wall panels 306and the window panels 406, the door panels 1001 may include an aluminumprofile frame 310 encircling the door panel 1001 and supporting thepanel seals 305 and/or 405. The panels 1008 may extend beyond the doorframe profile 1030 and foam core 1007 and form a groove structure alongthe edge of the door panels 1001 that supports the aluminum profileframe 310 and panel seals 305, 405 therein. In some embodiments, thealuminum profile frame 310 may clamp the panel seals 305, 405 in place,and the aluminum profile frame 310 and panel seals 305, 405 may alsoform a groove structure within the groove structure along the edge ofthe door panels 1001. The groove structure formed by the aluminumprofile frame 310 and panel seals 305, 405 along the edge of the doorpanels 1001 may slide over a raised portion (e.g., a raised portioninclude the rail features 725) of the lower horizontal element 350 thatmay be affixed to a foundation or floor. The aluminum profile frame 310may rest on the rail features 725 of the lower horizontal element 350and a channel 316 may be formed between the lower horizontal element 350and aluminum profile frame 310 between the rail features 725. The raisedfeatures 315 of the vertical element (e.g., vertical element 612, 512,etc.) may interconnect with the door panel 1001. The raised features 315may form a tongue structure that inserts into the groove structureformed by the aluminum profile frame 310 and panel seals 305, 405 alongthe edge of the door panel 1001, thereby joining the vertical elementwith the door panel 1001 by respective tongue and groove type joints.When the vertical element and the panel 1001 are joined together,channels 316, such as vertical channels, may be formed between thevertical element and the panels 1001 as discussed above. Additionally,when the horizontal element (e.g., upper horizontal element 610 and/orlower horizontal element 350, etc.) are joined together, channels 316,such as horizontal channels, may be formed between the horizontalelement and the panels 1001 as discussed above.

FIGS. 12 and 13 illustrate cut-away views of the embodiment window panel406. With reference to FIGS. 1A-13, in alternative configurations, thewindow panel may include additional foam core 1302 between the panels454. The dimensions of spacer 452 may also be modified to accommodatethicker or thinner window panels.

FIGS. 14 and 15 are cut-away views of a roof panel 630 according tovarious embodiments. With reference to FIGS. 1A-15, FIG. 14 shows theroof panel 630 with the aluminum composite panel 631 removed, while FIG.15 shows the roof panel 630 with the aluminum composite panel 631installed. In FIG. 14, the aluminum profile frame 310 encircling theroof panel is visible supporting the panel seal 305.

FIGS. 16A-16C illustrate views of another modular building 1600according to various embodiments. With reference to FIGS. 1A-16C, themodular building 1600 may include more than two rooms and may be largerthan the building of FIGS. 1A-1E.

FIG. 17 is a cut-away view of a floor support 1703 for a modularbuilding according to various embodiments. With reference to FIGS.1A-17, the floor support 1703 may be configured to affix to the upperhorizontal elements 610. In this manner, the floor support 1703 mayenable the construction of multi-floor modular buildings. The floorsupport 1703 may include a floor anchor 1707, such as a bolt, etc.,running through a hollow center portion of the floor support 1703 andconnecting to the upper horizontal portion 610 of the lower level andthe lower horizontal portion 350 of the upper level. The floor support1703 may be a horizontal element configured to support a floor section1702 and/or lower horizontal elements 350. In various embodiments, afloor section 1702 may be similar in construction to a roof as describedherein, such as formed from a series of panels and trusses. The floorsection 1702 may be supported by a protrusion 1704 extending inwardtoward the center of the modular building from the floor support 1703.The floor portion 1702 may be include passages 1705 therein to provide apassageway for electric, data, plumbing, HVAC (heating, ventilation, andair conditioning), and any other type connections and/or utilitiessuitable for use in a modular building. The floor support 1703 mayextend horizontally beyond the upper horizontal elements 610 on which itis affixed to support the floor 1702. The lower horizontal elements 350of the next floor of the modular building may be affixed to the floorsupport 1703. The floor support 1703 may separate each floor of themodular building and a roof may be affixed to the top floor using a roofsupport 616 as described herein rather than another floor support 1703.An upper portion of the floor support 1703 may be narrower than thelower horizontal elements 350 to create a lip 1706 to contact the floor1702.

FIG. 18 illustrates different horizontal element configurations 1902,1904, 1906, 1908, and 1910 according to various embodiments. Withreference to FIGS. 1A-18, a horizontal element configuration 1902 may bea straight element with no slots 722. In another configuration 1904, thehorizontal element may include a slot 722 between a first raised portionand second raised portion and holes 1901 passing through the horizontalelement to enable connections to other elements, such as a foundation,etc. In another configuration 1906, the horizontal element may include apanel seal 405 on the first raised portion. In another configuration1908, the horizontal element may include a shock absorber 304. Inanother configuration 1910, the horizontal element may include a bracket1903 at one end. Horizontal elements 1902-1910 may include rail features725 along their lengthwise directions over which a vertical elementand/or panel may be slid and/or that may slide into a vertical elementand/or panel. A slot between the rail features 725 may create thechannel 316 between the panels and the horizontal elements 1902-1910when joined together.

FIG. 19 illustrates lower horizontal elements 350 arranged into anH-frame 2000 suitable for installation on a foundation or floor. Withreference to FIGS. 1A-19, the lower horizontal elements 350 may includeshock absorbers 304. Once the H-frame is affixed to the foundation orfloor, the vertical elements and panels discussed herein may be slideonto the lower horizontal elements 350 to form the walls of a modularbuilding.

FIG. 20 illustrates such example panels according to variousembodiments. With reference to FIGS. 1A-20, FIG. 20 illustrates a roofpanel 630, a wall panel 306, a door panel 1001, and a window panel 406.The panels slide over the rail features 725 on the lower horizontalelements 350. Similarly, the rail features 725 of the upper horizontalelements 350 slide into the panels. In various embodiments, the roofpanel 630, the wall panel 306, the door panel 1001, and/or the windowpanel 406 may be structural insulated panels (SIPs) formed from asandwich of ACP or other hard materials and foam.

FIG. 21 illustrates a cut-away view a corner portion of a modularbuilding according to various embodiments. With reference to FIGS.1A-21, FIG. 21 illustrates an embodiment modular building in whichseparate inside walls are affixed inside of the vertical elements and/orvertical panels (e.g., wall panels, door panels, window panels, etc.).The wall panels 2101 shown in FIG. 21 may be similar to the wall panels123 and 306 described herein. The vertical element 2102 shown in FIG. 21may be similar to the vertical element 412 described herein. The lowerhorizontal element 2107 shown in FIG. 21 may be similar to horizontalelement 350 described herein and may further be configured to supportthe insertion of an inside wall (or inner wall) disposed toward theinside of the modular building affixed to the wall panels 2101. Thelocking system 2103 may be disposed between the inside wall and thevertical element 2102 and/or wall panels 2101. The locking system 2103may connect an upper horizontal element to the lower horizontal element2107. The locking system 2103 between the inside wall and the verticalelement 2102 and/or wall panels 2101 may be tensioned to pull the upperhorizontal element toward the lower horizontal element to thereby lockvertical elements (e.g., vertical element 2102) and vertical panels(e.g., wall panels 2101) in place between the upper horizontal elementsand the lower horizontal element 2107. The locking system 2103 mayinclude an upper lock bar 2106 (or lock rod, cable, etc.) coupled to alower lock bar 2105 (or lock rod, cable, etc.) by a shock absorber 2104.For example, the shock absorber 2104 may be a metal (e.g., steel, etc.)oval spring, rubber block, hydraulic system, etc. The shock absorber2104 may operate similar to shock absorber 304 as described herein.

In alternative embodiments, the locking systems as described herein maynot interact with the lower horizontal elements 350. Rather, the lockingsystems may pull the upper horizontal elements 610 toward the foundationand/or floor to thereby lock vertical elements and vertical panels inplace between the upper horizontal elements and the foundation and/orfloor. For example, lock rod 302 (or lock cable, or other lockingmechanism) may connect to a bolt in the foundation on a first level of amodular building and/or lock rod 302 (or lock cable, or other lockingmechanism) may connect to a bolt in a floor of a second or higher levelof a modular building. The lock rod 302 (or lock cable, or other lockingmechanism) may be tensioned during installation to create force holdingthe modular building walls together.

FIG. 22 illustrates cut-away side views of two different panel seals 305and 405. With reference to FIGS. 1A-22, the panel seal 305, 405 may beformed from a compressible material, such a plastic, rubber, or othertype material seal, that may act as a weather seal for the joints of themodular building. The panel seal 305, 405 may form a flexible sealbetween the vertical panels (such as door panels, window panels, wallpanels, etc.) and/or roof panels that join to the vertical elementsand/or horizontal elements (e.g., lower horizontal elements, upperhorizontal elements, roof trusses, etc.). The panel seal 305, 405 may beaffixed to the vertical panels (such as door panels, window panels, wallpanels, etc.) and/or roof panels, such as by glue, nails, friction,physical arrangement of the surface of the vertical panels (such as doorpanels, window panels, wall panels, etc.) and/or roof panels, and/or anyin any other manner. The presence of the panel seal 305, 405 at thejoint connection points may eliminate the need for caulking and/or gluein the modular building. The panel seal 305, 405 may be a flexible sealhaving one or more raised flexible features 2201 (e.g., lips, wipers,bubbles, etc.) extending from a main body 2202 of the panel seal 305,405. The raised flexible features 2201 may be compressed toward the mainbody 2202 (e.g., in the direction “C”) when the vertical panels (such asdoor panels, window panels, wall panels, etc.), roof panels, verticalelements and/or horizontal elements (e.g., lower horizontal elements,upper horizontal elements, roof trusses, etc.) are joined together(e.g., by being inserted in the direction “I”). The compression of theraised flexible features 2201 may form compression interlocks betweenthe vertical panels (such as door panels, window panels, wall panels,etc.) and/or roof panels that join to the vertical elements and/orhorizontal elements (e.g., lower horizontal elements, upper horizontalelements, roof trusses, etc.). In various embodiments, the raisedflexible features 2201 may be compressed to lie flat against the mainbody 2202 when the structural elements of the modular building (e.g.,the vertical panels (such as door panels, window panels, wall panels,etc.), roof panels, vertical elements and/or horizontal elements (e.g.,lower horizontal elements, upper horizontal elements, roof trusses,etc.)) are joined together. Additionally, the raised flexible features2201 may mold to the mating surface of the structural elements of themodular building (e.g., the vertical panels (such as door panels, windowpanels, wall panels, etc.), roof panels, vertical elements and/orhorizontal elements (e.g., lower horizontal elements, upper horizontalelements, roof trusses, etc.)) when the structural elements are joinedtogether. The flexibility of the panel seal 305, 405 may compensate fortolerance variations in the profiles of the vertical panels (such asdoor panels, window panels, wall panels, etc.), roof panels, verticalelements and/or horizontal elements (e.g., lower horizontal elements,upper horizontal elements, roof trusses, etc.), especially when suchstructural elements of the modular building are formed from FRP. As thevertical panels (such as door panels, window panels, wall panels, etc.),roof panels, vertical elements and/or horizontal elements (e.g., lowerhorizontal elements, upper horizontal elements, roof trusses, etc.) arejoined together, the panel seal 305, 405 may compress (e.g., the raisedflexible features 2201 may compress toward the main body 2202 in thedirection “C”, and/or the main body 2202 may compress in the direction“C”) and the compression may provide the required tolerances for thestructural elements of the modular building to fit together, as well asmay act as a shock absorber between the structural elements. Thiscompression of the panel seal 305, 405 may make the structural elementsof the modular building (e.g., the vertical panels (such as door panels,window panels, wall panels, etc.), roof panels, vertical elements and/orhorizontal elements (e.g., lower horizontal elements, upper horizontalelements, roof trusses, etc.)) easier to fit together. Additionally, bycompensating for tolerance variation in the structural elements of themodular building (e.g., the vertical panels (such as door panels, windowpanels, wall panels, etc.), roof panels, vertical elements and/orhorizontal elements (e.g., lower horizontal elements, upper horizontalelements, roof trusses, etc.)), this compression of the panel seal 305,405 may prevent modular panels from not fitting together at a build siteand needing to be shipped back to a supplier due to not fitting. WhileFIG. 22 illustrates two example configurations of the panel seal 305,405, other configurations of panel seals, such as other configurationswith different shapes of raised features 2201 and main bodies 2202,different numbers of raised features 2201, etc., may be substituted forthe panel seals 305 and 405 described herein.

Various aspects illustrated and described are provided merely asexamples to illustrate various features of the claims. However, featuresshown and described with respect to any given aspect are not necessarilylimited to the associated aspect and may be used or combined with otheraspects that are shown and described. Further, the claims are notintended to be limited by any one example aspect.

The foregoing method descriptions and the process flow diagrams areprovided merely as illustrative examples and are not intended to requireor imply that the steps of the various aspects must be performed in theorder presented. As will be appreciated by one of skill in the art theorder of steps in the foregoing aspects may be performed in any order.Words such as “thereafter,” “then,” “next,” etc. are not intended tolimit the order of the steps; these words are simply used to guide thereader through the description of the methods. Further, any reference toclaim elements in the singular, for example, using the articles “a,”“an” or “the” is not to be construed as limiting the element to thesingular.

The preceding description of the disclosed aspects is provided to enableany person skilled in the art to make or use the claims. Variousmodifications to these aspects will be readily apparent to those skilledin the art, and the generic principles defined herein may be applied toother aspects without departing from the scope of the claims. Thus, theclaims are not intended to be limited to the aspects described hereinbut are to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the followingclaims and the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

What is claimed is:
 1. A modular building, comprising: at least onelower horizontal element; at least one vertical element configured toform a hollow central portion; at least one upper horizontal element;and at least one locking system connecting the lower horizontal element,the vertical element, and the upper horizontal element together, whereinthe locking system at least partially passes through the verticalelement and is under tension to thereby pull the lower horizontalelement, the vertical element, and the upper horizontal elementtogether.
 2. The modular building of claim 1, further comprising avertical panel joined between the lower horizontal element and the upperhorizontal element and joined to the vertical element.
 3. The modularbuilding of claim 2, wherein channels are formed between the verticalpanel, the lower horizontal element, the upper horizontal element, andthe vertical element when the vertical panel, lower horizontal element,upper horizontal element, and vertical element are joined together. 4.The modular building of claim 3, further comprising a utility or dataconnection formed in at least one of the channels.
 5. The modularbuilding of claim 4, wherein the vertical element, the upper horizontalelement, or the lower horizontal element are comprised of fiberreinforced plastic.
 6. The modular building of claim 5, wherein thevertical panel comprises aluminum composite panels with foam sandwichedtherebetween.
 7. The modular building of claim 2, wherein the verticalpanel comprises a structural insulated panel.
 8. The modular building ofclaim 2, wherein the locking system includes a shock absorber.
 9. Themodular building of claim 8, wherein the shock absorber comprises arubber block, spring, or hydraulic system connected to a lock rod, bar,or cable of the locking system.
 10. The modular building of claim 1,further comprising: a roof support affixed to the upper horizontalelement; and at least one roof panel affixed to the roof support.
 11. Amethod of installing a modular building, comprising: affixing at leastone lower horizontal element to a foundation; sliding a vertical elementconfigured to form a hollow central portion over a first raised portionof the lower horizontal element; sliding a vertical panel over a secondraised portion of the lower horizontal element and over a raised surfaceelement of the vertical element; sliding an upper horizontal elementinto the vertical element and the vertical panel; affixing a lockingsystem between the lower horizontal element and the upper horizontalelement; and tensioning the locking system to pull the lower horizontalelement, the vertical element, and the upper horizontal elementtogether.
 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the vertical panel is awall panel, a window panel, or a door panel.
 13. The method of claim 11,further comprising: affixing a roof support to the upper horizontalelement; and affixing a roof panel to the roof support.
 14. The methodof claim 11, further comprising: affixing a floor support to the upperhorizontal element; affixing a floor portion to the floor support; andaffixing at least one additional lower horizontal element to the floorsupport to support a second level for the modular building.
 15. Themethod of claim 11, wherein affixing the locking system between thelower horizontal element and the upper horizontal element comprisesaffixing the locking system between the lower horizontal element and theupper horizontal element through the hollow central portion of thevertical element.
 16. The method of claim 11, further comprisingaffixing an inner wall to the lower horizontal element such that thelocking system is disposed between the vertical panel and the innerwall.
 17. The method of claim 11, wherein the vertical element, theupper element, or the lower horizontal element are comprised of fiberreinforced plastic.
 18. The method of claim 11, wherein the verticalpanel comprises aluminum composite panels with foam sandwichedtherebetween.
 19. The method of claim 11, wherein the vertical panelcomprises a structural insulated panel.
 20. The method of claim 11,further comprising joining the vertical element, the upper element, orthe lower horizontal element to the vertical panel without usingfasteners.
 21. The method of claim 11, wherein tensioning the lockingsystem to pull the lower horizontal element, the vertical element, andthe upper horizontal element together thereby holds structural elementsof the modular building together without glue or caulk.
 22. A modularbuilding, comprising: means for affixing at least one lower horizontalelement to a foundation; means for sliding a vertical element configuredto form a hollow central portion over a first raised portion of thelower horizontal element; means for sliding a vertical panel over asecond raised portion of the lower horizontal element and over a raisedsurface element of the vertical element; means for sliding an upperhorizontal element into the vertical element and the vertical panel;means for affixing a locking system between the lower horizontal elementand the upper horizontal element; and means for tensioning the lockingsystem to pull the lower horizontal element, the vertical element, andthe upper horizontal element together.
 23. The modular building of claim22, further comprising means for forming channels between the verticalpanel, the lower horizontal element, the upper horizontal element, andthe vertical element when the vertical panel, lower horizontal element,upper horizontal element, and vertical element are joined together. 24.The modular building of claim 23, further comprising means for forming autility or data connection in at least one of the channels.
 25. Themodular building of claim 22, further comprising: means for affixing aroof support to the upper horizontal element; and means for affixing aroof panel to the roof support.
 26. The modular building of claim 22,further comprising: means for affixing a floor support to the upperhorizontal element; means for affixing a floor portion to the floorsupport; and means for affixing at least one additional lower horizontalelement to the floor support to support a second level for the modularbuilding.
 27. The modular building of claim 22, further comprising meansfor affixing an inner wall to the lower horizontal element such that thelocking system is disposed between the vertical panel and the innerwall.
 28. The modular building of claim 22, further comprising means forjoining the vertical element, the upper element, or the lower horizontalelement to the vertical panel without using fasteners.
 29. The modularbuilding of claim 22, wherein means for tensioning the locking system topull the lower horizontal element, the vertical element, and the upperhorizontal element together hold structural elements of the modularbuilding together without glue or caulk.
 30. The modular building ofclaim 22, further comprising means for shock absorbing connected to thelocking system.